Compare towns
Brookfield vs Middlebury vs Plainfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brookfield has the most people working from home (27.3%).
Middlebury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.7%).
Plainfield has the most affordable homes ($318k median).
Middlebury is a college town. 32.6% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Brookfield | Middlebury | Plainfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,486 |
9,175Highest |
1,314Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+7.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-0.6% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 47±5.9 9% above VT |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
48.1±5.5Highest 12% above VT |
| Plainfield and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.8%±4.1Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
16.3%±4.7 VT: 17.9% |
| Brookfield and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29.7%±6.4Highest VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
21.1%±3.5 VT: 21.4% |
| Brookfield and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 45.3%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
48.2% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.2%±2.4 VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
2.1%±1.3Lowest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $98,500±$23kHighest 21% above VT |
$86,169±$16k 6% above VT |
$69,250±$31kLowest 15% below VT |
| Brookfield and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $339,300±$15k 7% above VT |
$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT |
$318,400±$34kLowest about the VT average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $975±$306Lowest 21% below VT |
$1,156±$113Highest 6% below VT |
$1,153±$103 7% below VT |
| Middlebury and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,560Lowest 10% below VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
$4,806 5% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.4%±27.8Lowest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4 VT: 48.4% |
73.2%±53.9Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Plainfield and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
10.7% VT: 10.1% |
11.6%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
80.9% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 1 yr older than VT |
1976Highest same as VT |
1955Lowest 21 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 37 minHighest 55% above VT |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
24 min about the VT average |
| Work from home | 27.3%±10.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
16.4%±4.4Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Brookfield and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #17 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Middlebury Union High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.6 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
VT average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.